tomtom1 wrote in post #8487010
Hi,
I was wondering if there is any way to stack all three types of filter (polarizer, solid neutral density and grad nd) on a 77mm lens at once without ghastly vignetting at wide angles, preferably without hand-holding one of the elements.
The options I know of are:
- Slim Singh ray Vari-N-Duo and handhold a GND (vignetting to 18-20mm on FF)
- Lee filter holder with 105mm polarizer and 2 filter slots, however this will vignette to 21mm on FF (according to previous forum posts)
- Screw-on CPL, with filter holder in front (difficult to adjust polarizer, will still get vignetting not sure how much)
Any better ideas?
1.) Don't know where you heard this. The slim Vari-N-Duo will vignette on a FF all the way up to 28mm. The vignetting at 28, however, is minor and very manageable. By 29 or 30mm, the vignetting is completely gone. OTOH, the standard Vari-N-Duo will vignette all the way up to 35mm on a FF. I had the standard version, but sent it back to SR to have it re-worked into the slim version.
2.) If you go this route, you can always use the adapter ring to adjust the CPL before slipping on the holder. Just turn the edge of the ring to set the CPL to the needed result.
Not sure why you want to stack GND's...with this particular type of filter, its always best to use a single filter of the proper strength. Hitech has a 4-stop filter, and with SR you can get a 5-stop filter, albeit at a steep price. The more "stuff" you stick onto the front of the lens barrel, the greater your chances of vignetting. If you can't avoid stacking, you have to be mindful of the focal length limitations for vignetting and compose your shot accordingly within those limits. FWIW, on occasion I'll also hand-hold a GND in front of a polarizer when I don't feel like using the Lee 105. I've hand-held some shots at a shutter speed of 5-seconds or more...its not as difficult as it sounds.
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